Kristina Nielsen
Currently living in: Cape Town {originally from Zimbabwe}
Object title: Glass Gardens
Tell us a bit more about your “LIVING ROOM OBJECT”. What inspired you?
I was inspired by indoor terrariums. These are currently a huge hit, coming in various shapes and sizes. I found the fact that the gardens sustain themselves for years with just a few drops of water really amazing.
If you had to match a song to your object, what would it be and why?
Kodaline – High Hopes. I would choose this as my object song because the song talks a lot about starting again and taking me back to where I started which for me is very apt for this project. This is because I had to do a lot of test runs and start over from the beginning a few times while figuring out how to achieve my goal. Doing this project also took me back to where my glass blowing all started in Denmark.
What challenges have you experienced by adhering to the competition principles of using sustainable design techniques?
The main challenges I faced while sticking to the sustainable design techniques were finding out the limitations of recycled bottles. Many of them are not purely made of glass which causes cracks while annealing and limits how much you can work with the bottles. Also finding an appropriate glass blowing studio to help create my object, Nicky and Terry Hayden from Hayden Crafts as well as David Reade were extremely helpful in this area.
What does sustainable design mean to you?
Sustainable design to me is design which strives to become eternal through reducing negative impacts on the environment and our society.
I can’t start my day without…
My breakfast smoothie.
You are currently obsessed with?
Pinterest!
3 things we don’t know about you…
I took a gap year in a castle in Denmark where I learnt glass blowing.
I can speak fluent Danish.
I love painting and learning new and different mediums that work together.
What’s on your horizon?
After college I plan to travel to Japan and hopefully get a job and settle down in Denmark.
What is your most treasured piece in your home?
My glass creations.
Top tip when it comes to sustainable design…
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
The Remake Design Challenge is proudly brought to you by Pick n Pay.
